Electrical power is supplied to electrical appliances and other electrical equipment by the insertion of blades of a plug into an electrical receptacle, thereby electrically connecting the electrical equipment to the power distribution lines.
Electrical receptacles generally have a mounting strap that is connected to an electrical box to secure the electrical receptacle to the electrical box. The face plate of the electrical receptacle has openings to receive the blades of the plug to electrically connect the electrical equipment to the power distribution lines. A wall plate is secured to the electrical receptacle to cover and protect the electrical receptacle and the contents of the electrical box, as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance. A threaded fastener is threaded through aligned openings in the wall plate, face plate and mounting strap to secure the wall plate to the electrical receptacle.
Electrical receptacles are typically installed in new commercial and residential construction projects in large quantities. An installer must completely thread each fastener through the wall and face plates and into the mounting strap. Therefore, a lot of time is required to connect a wall plate to each of the installed electrical receptacles. Thus, a need exists for quickly and easily securing wall plates to electrical receptacles.
Accordingly, a need exists for an electrical receptacle to which a wall plate is quickly and easily secured.